


Being Scouted by Takanashi Productions

by Kaix_Maxi



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, former nanase bros are so good, indoor festival rabbit chats, is this out of character idk, izumi brothers are so good, izumi family, nanase riku's family, oneshots, rip takanashi otoharu, so many misunderstandings, what should i even tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-04-24 12:33:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19173358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaix_Maxi/pseuds/Kaix_Maxi
Summary: (Set before IDOLiSH7 was formed) What Takanashi Otoharu wanted was an idol group to be under his agency, Takanashi Productions. He needed people to sing the songs that had been anonymously sent to him after all. In search for those with potential, he stumbles upon several different people. However, in attempting to scout them, many misunderstandings or complications ensue.





	1. misunderstandings ensue

**Author's Note:**

> i'm very into this low case aesthetic but ANYWAYS this whole story was inspired by the i7 rabbit chats of the indoor festival where they explained how they were scouted, so do check them out!! i added some of my own interpretation to it as well.  
> so it's canon that iori was still in his first year of previous high school at this time. to provide some context, it meant he wasn't enrolled into tamaki's school yet, still is the student council pres and is a 16 y/o (cute)!! 
> 
> anyways, decided to post this today because it's the 11th!! 11-10=1 -> Iori's number, especially since I didn't want to wait until next month to publish this!! expect each character to appear on the dates of their respective numbers!!  
> hope you enjoy it!

Iori exited from the school gates, having assigned his student council president duties to someone else for today. His mother and father had requested for him to do some shopping for them regarding tonight’s dinner and for tomorrow’s baked goods. What he needed was found in the city so he’d have to take a train ride there. He did so, having offered his seat to an elderly person.

After the train ride finally ended, he headed off to the grocery store he needed to go to, and entered the supermarket. He picked up a shopping basket, already having memorised the grocery list and searched for what he needed to buy.

As he headed to the aisle at the end, Iori instantly froze at one of the posters that had been plastered onto the wall. ‘ _ Spend over 1,000 yen and get a free Usamimi Friends charm! _ ’ These groceries were going to go well over 1,000 yen so excitement pumped through him. He instantly fixed himself, reverting back to his cool composure and tore his gaze away from the poster. As he returned his gaze to the front, he noted there to be a man that was a bit out of place in the store.

A majority of the customers were housewives, or school students like himself, but this man had donned on the formal attire of a magenta-coloured suit and was in his late forties, unlike anyone else here. What caught his attention was the cute pink little fluff ball he’d been holding within his arms. A small little red ribbon was on the fluff ball and he simply gushed at the sight - that was, on the inside. He wanted to touch it and feel its fluffiness, to be able to stroke it.

He cleared his throat, deciding he would continue his shopping. He needed to stop getting distracted at the simplest things. With that, he purchased everything he wanted at the counter then left with groceries in hand.

He felt a little tired so decided he’d take a seat on a bench closeby to a water fountain. Hearing the stream of water trickle at a calm and steady pace was strangely calming. He thought back on the Usamimi Friends charm he received from the supermarket and contemplated on admiring it until someone decided to take a seat next to him.

“It’s a warm day today, isn’t it?” they commented happily.

He glanced around curiously, wondering if they were talking to him. There was no one else around so he decided to reply as he felt some unknown pressure of them waiting for a reply. “...That’s right,” he said in response. He stayed on his guard and packed his groceries into bag, shoving them in and making sure they’d fit - just in case he needed to bolt away. Expect the unexpected, after all.

“Is your school closeby?”

“No,” he replied gingerly, taking a brief glance at this nameless stranger.

He paused, realising it was the stranger that stood out in the supermarket just a few minutes earlier. He was still wearing that suit, but the cute fluff ball he had earlier was no longer with him much to his relief and disappointment. He would probably lower his guard upon seeing something cute.

Although he sincerely hoped he wasn’t being followed by this unknown man. That would be terrible. He couldn’t tolerate stalkers. However, this man certainly didn’t emit a villainous aura. It was more of… happiness and sparkles to put it dumbly. 

They seemed to observe his uniform until beaming. “Are you a high school student? My daughter is in her second year of high school right now.”

“I am,” Iori replied. He was in his first year. He disregarded the second sentence since it was completely irrelevant.

As he cast his gaze downwards, hues of red and orange gradually began to melt into his view, like a shadow creeping forward. He glanced upwards to see that the sun had been setting. He shot upwards, deciding it was time to return back home. His family needed those groceries after all.

He bit his bottom lip as he heard footsteps echoing a moment after his. Was he being followed? He stole a glance behind him to see it was still the man from earlier. He increased his pace to escape from his potential predator, glad that he shoved his groceries earlier into his bag. He didn’t emit a villainous aura but perhaps he was mistaken in thinking so.

However, the man caught up to him, still smiling cheerfully as before. “Do you have any hobbies?”

“I like collecting cool and sharp stationary,” he replied. It was a satisfactory answer that allowed him to maintain his cool composure. There’s no way he would reveal that he liked cute things to a complete stranger. He sped up, hoping he could brush the man off. Surely this person wouldn’t have continued to speed up to match with him.

“You don’t have any other hobbies?” they inquired.

“I like studying and baking,” he said, considering his family owned the bakery ‘fonte chocolat’. “And… I do quite like admiring my older brother.”

Iori mentally slapped himself at the slip of his tongue. Why on earth did he mention his older brother to a stranger? He kept up his guard, stronger than before so he would avoid rambling on again. It shouldn’t have mattered. He wouldn’t be seeing this old man again after this event.

“What sort of music do you like?” they inquired curiously.

“I am ok with any genre,” Iori replied as he accelerated his pace once again, only for the man to mimic Iori’s walking speed, much to his bewilderment.

“Then what do you usually listen to?”

“Zero’s music,” he replied honestly. It was a normal response. Almost everyone knew who the idol Zero was that disappeared at the peak of his popularity, he often listened to it with his older brother. He enjoyed the moments when they shared time together.

He saw an incoming train and began to run so he wouldn’t miss it. There was no way this old man was going to run to catch up to him, and even if he did, he shouldn’t have been fast enough to keep up with a high schooler zooming off to catch a train - yet this stranger betrayed all expectations. He positively ran after Iori and he’d been dazzled, if only for a moment at their speed. He was able to successfully catch up with Iori. Amazing.

No, no, this wasn’t any time to admire a man that had been following him for so long. His priority was to get this person off his trail, and then return back home safely. With that, they both entered the same train. They were both a bit breathless, but Iori quickly decided to move onto the next carriage.

“You mentioned you had an older brother,” the man recalled, “Is there anyone else in your family?”

In that moment, he was sure of it. He didn’t care about the identity of the man anymore, but rather instantly threw him into the category of ‘stalker’. Didn’t he know it was faux pas to speak in a train and ask about someone’s personal life? Some people just wanted peace and quiet in trains after returning home from work, whereas speaking of personal lives with absolute strangers was downright uncomfortable.

“I don’t believe that concerns you,” he said. Iori contemplated on calling a train station attendant considering this man had been following him ever since their encounter at the supermarket. He moved down into a carriage again and didn’t see the man following him anymore.

Nonetheless, a stalker was still on the loose. He had to report it to a station attendant. Despite being a stalker, he’d been very ‘smiley’ so Iori found that he couldn’t get mad at him, considering how friendly he seemed on the exterior, but he had to do what was ethically right and report him. Perhaps the friendly exterior was just a facade for getting closer to those he’d been stalking.

“Wait!” the man called out. Iori would’ve recognised that voice. “Please. Accept this.”

Iori reluctantly turned on his heel to face the nameless man again to see… a business card? He observed ‘ _ Takanashi Productions _ ’ and beneath it was ‘ _ President - Takanashi Otoharu _ ’. He stared at it, stupefied until the truth hit him. This was a businessman and to put a cherry on the top of everything, he was the president.

_ So he wasn’t a stalker… _ Iori thought to himself and sighed exhaustedly. If only the man offered his business card earlier, then this misunderstanding wouldn’t have ensued. There was no need for him to accept it until pausing. Takanashi Productions… considering the name—

“Are you a talent agency?” Iori started inquisitively.

“Yes.”

“Do you… scout people?” Iori said dumbly. He would have phrased it better but his priority was on getting the answer. It was likely, but he wanted to double-check.

Otoharu smiled as he still offered Iori the business card. “I do.”

With that, Iori took the business card. He had his brother to consider after all. He recalled that his brother had another audition was coming up. He hoped he was successful.

“In fact,” Otoharu started as he flipped his hand - gesturing for Iori to look at the flip side of the card. He did so and found an unfamiliar address and a date far from now. He glanced upwards at Otoharu, about to ask details until the older man opened his eyes to reveal scarlet pink irises that met Iori’s own raven black orbs.

Otoharu continued. “I’m scouting you. Won’t you debut as an idol with Takanashi Productions?”

Iori frowned. He wasn’t too interested in the music industry and he didn’t exactly have any dreams of his own, except one - and that was for his brother’s dream to be fulfilled, which was to become an idol just like Zero.

“Under one condition,” Iori said firmly, “I also want you to make my older brother debut as an idol.”

He hummed in thought, considering it for less than a second until nodding surely. “I can do tha—”

“However,” Iori interjected, “I want you to keep it a secret from him.”

Otoharu closed his eyes, but Iori could feel a gaze on him which made him feel strangely unnerved and he shifted uncomfortably.

“I can also do that,” Otoharu replied, “Do you not want to make it seem like he was scouted because of your influence?”

It was a definite mistake to only reply with silence. All he had to do was utter a few words, but it was difficult to lie to Otoharu who had only been honest with him. Instead of pressuring him for an answer, Otoharu nodded.

“Then we shall see each other again in the future,” Iori commented as he pocketed Otoharu’s business card.

With that, they both exited the train. Iori decided to return back home, hoping his family wasn’t waiting too long on the groceries. However, he heard footsteps echoing after his again. He stole a glance behind him to see Otoharu continuing to follow him. He wondered if it was just a coincidence and that their home was the same way. He’d already established the fact that Otoharu wasn’t a villain or a stalker, so he could gradually let down his guard. Just a little though.

However, it was a completely different story the moment he realised Otoharu followed him all the way back home. His guard had been raised to the extreme, and was contemplating whether this man had at least some stalkerish tendencies, if not an actual stalker.


	2. the woes of a man that hates acting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yamato hates acting with a passion, and has officially decided he'll never enter that world. Despite that, there's an acquaintance that just keeps on offering him a role in their play. He constantly refuses but to no avail. What happens when his acquaintance ends up coming back again to offer him a role, but this time with a backer to help persuade him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally have no idea how yamato acted before he was scouted since he's the "onii-san" of the group now,,, idk.,.,.,., i guess he was more,,, cold?? lol idk!! didn't make him use "onii-san" though since i'm pretty sure he wouldn't refer to himself like that in front of otoharu (that's like 20 years older than him lmao) anyways i tried my best to create his personality.  
> was originally going to name this chapter 'an actor's woes' but it was like nah, yamato ain't an actor so better change it up
> 
> enjoy!!

Yamato wasn’t interested in acting. He repeatedly declined the offers that had been extended towards him, growing tired of this constant process. However, there was just one person that gradually started to grow on him. That was, in a bad way. They were acquaintances but he disliked how they were so terribly insistent, constantly calling out to him - eager for him to play a role in their play.

It had been one of those days again. His acquaintance approached him, yet it seemed as though they had company. Behind them was a man in his late forties, donned in a magenta red suit.

Who was he? Well, it didn’t concern Yamato anyway. He was just a nameless stranger that he certainly wouldn’t be seeing again.

“Good afternoon Nikaidou-san,” his acquaintance greeted cheerfully. “Are you ready to take a part in my play?”

“Maybe in my greatest nightmares,” Yamato groaned and turned on his heel, deciding he would go somewhere else for now that didn’t involve the presence of his acquaintance.

Yamato swore he heard them visibly sigh in exasperation which irked him. If anything, he should’ve been the one sighing from being exhausted and absolutely done with their constant offers.

He heard them speak again, although not to him.“Why don’t you say something too Takanashi-san? You’re here to help me persuade Nikaidou-san today as my backer today, aren’t you?”

“That’s right,” a foreign voice replied.

Yamato stole a glance behind him, observing the man in his late forties. He must’ve been the one known as ‘Takanashi’. How much time was his acquaintance going to waste in trying to recruit him as an actor? Repeatedly calling out to him… and now, a backer? Was ‘refusal’ not part of their vocabulary?

He heard both of their footsteps mirror his, until he heard someone accelerating and was stunned to see Takanashi in front of him after having ran forward, and was now smiling cheerfully. “Good afternoon Yamato-kun. I am Takanashi Otoharu.”

Yamato eyed Otoharu inquisitively. A first name basis already? That was… unexpectedly fast. Maybe it was because of the massive age difference that allowed Otoharu to act so familiarly with him.

However, his main concern was the bad feeling that had rooted itself within him ever since the appearance of Takanashi Otoharu. His acquaintance had never taken the effort to actually run after him, whereas this backer was perfectly willing to do so. If Otoharu was more persistent than his acquaintance, he was going to suffer from more than just a migraine.

He decided to converse with Otoharu. He needed him off his trail for good, or else the word ‘migraine’ was going to be an understatement of his future condition. He preferred taking it easy, but there were some moments that required interjection.

“Takanashi-san,” Yamato started, as he shifted his glasses upwards. “I don’t like acting, so I’d appreciate it if you could leave me alone.”

“Really? Acting is one of the many ways that you can get popular, while being an idol is another,” Otoharu commented, “Your expressiveness is one of your best traits. It’s a desirable asset.”

“That’s right!” the acquaintance piped in.

Yamato ignored his acquaintance, focusing on this dialogue between himself and Otoharu. “You might be right, but no matter what you say, I’m not interested,” Yamato argued, “I want to live life taking it easy and doing something I enjoy. I’d rather be an average salaryman than an actor.”

“What wasted potential,” his acquaintance remarked.

“…Yamato-kun, don’t you find it nice to take it easy watching television with friends with a can of beer in hand? Watching TV dramas, seeing idols on stage…”

Yamato stole a glance at this extremely smiley man. Was he a lot more sharp than he presented himself to be? He did recall enjoying a can of beer earlier. Did Otoharu pick up on that smell in his breath? He turned away, feeling unnerved by Otoharu. He definitely raised better points that his acquaintance, considering he did love taking it easy. However, he refused to be a part of acting.

“I refuse, and that decision is final,” Yamato stated. If expressiveness truly was one of his best aspects, then he made full use of that by donning on an exasperated expression. “Please. Leave me alone.”

With that, a moment of silence passed and he began to walk away from Otoharu. Sweet victory. He’d relish in it the moment he returned back home. However, he thought too soon as he’d been called out by Otoharu again.

“Yamato-kun, what do you think about music?” he suggested eagerly.

Yamato guessed that Otoharu was intent on staying and refused to retreat. If that was the case, then he’d confront the problem at its root and dig it out before it grew. Although this had been quite the sudden change in topic. Why music? Now that he thought back on it, Otoharu did occasionally speak of idols. Was he getting at something here?

“I’m not too passionate about music, but I don’t hate it,” he replied gingerly.

“Then why don’t you debut as an idol? I’m sure you’ll learn to enjoy it.”

“Wait, Takanashi-san! This isn’t what we agreed on!” Yamato’s acquaintance interrupted.

Yamato was bewildered. What did they mean this wasn’t something they agreed upon? Was he being scouted by Takanashi Otoharu? Approaching him under the pretense of being a backer, then persuading him? This man was really knocking down two birds with one stone.

He decided to raise a vital fact, and pointed an accusing finger at Otoharu whilst he grinned derisively. “Debuting as an idol isn’t easy. You’ll need an agenc—”

“If that’s what you’re concerned about…” Otoharu started as he reached into one of his pockets, and offered him a business card. “Then this an agency very much willing to make you debut as an idol.”

He took the business card, examining it despite his acquaintance’s wailing complaints in the background. He only needed to read the first two words to recognise who the president was. ‘ _ Takanashi Productions _ ’. He was shocked at this sudden turn in events. It was like he’d been involuntarily involved in a drama, and this had been the plot twist of the story.

“Yamato-kun,” Otoharu began, and gestured towards the business card. Yamato found that he was drawn into those scarlet pink irises that were gradually revealed as the older man opened his eyes. “You can do many things you want in the idol industry. People are able to express themselves through singing and dancing, regardless of what it is - melancholy, happiness, frustration, passion, regret. Unlike acting, you get to see your fans during live concerts, and you don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not.”

With being an idol, Otoharu concisely covered that he didn’t need to wear a fake persona, and his so-called ‘potential’ wouldn’t have been wasted. Most importantly of all, Otoharu mentioned that he would be granted the opportunity to express himself in any form, regardless of what he felt - but was the strongest desire he actually wanted to express inclusive of that’?

“Even revenge?” Yamato questioned.

Without hesitation, he received a response. “Even revenge.”

“Takanashi-san!” Yamato’s acquaintance barked. “You were supposed to be my backer!”

“But like this, Yamato-kun’s potential isn’t being wasted right? It’s a perfect opportunity,” Otoharu explained. “Furthermore… we’ve seen how much he loathes acting. He has a neutral opinion regarding music. I can envision him perfectly on the stage, rather than a drama set. ”

“But—”

“We are not the ones that should decide Yamato-kun’s future, but rather himself. Each of us forged our own paths in life and Yamato is entitled to be able to do the same,” Otoharu declared, like he’d been stating simple facts. “Why don’t we have a proper discussion about this later?”

The foreboding feeling that Yamato felt earlier was now substituted with one of being overwhelmed. His acquaintance and Otoharu were on completely different levels. Otoharu had captured him within mere minutes, and his acquaintance could barely hold a candle to that.

“Then I’ll debut as an idol,” Yamato said, offering his hand towards Otoharu.

“Then I look forward to seeing you in the future,” he replied, grasping Yamato’s hand and shaking it firmly.

Otoharu was admirable, mindful of other people’s wishes, knew how to use his words, and he naturally aroused respect, rather than having to demand it. On that day, Yamato decided he’d ingrain his newfound resolve into his mind. He’d become an idol solely for revenge, and bring ‘ _ him _ ’ down - no matter what he had to sacrifice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick note about the first name basis in japan, i think everyone knows it but i'll discuss it anyway - just briefly!! you should usually only use someone's first name if you're extremely familiar with them, e.g. significant other, family, childhood friends, so on. if you're not familiar with them, then the person (being referred to) can find it extremely rude!
> 
> -cues otoharu dropping hints everywhere of trying to scout yamato as an idol-   
> i was so tempted to refer to otoharu as 'ossan' again,,, although the best i can do is 'old man',,, but that loses the entire effect. ALSO HOLY MOLY, the biggest obstacle in this was the acquaintance -groans- it was a constant process of "well?? how am i going to refer to this acquaintance?? the gender isn't specified so can i assume it's a he,,, or should i just use they?? or am i constantly going to have to refer to them as 'yamato's acquaintance' or something like that, like idk! so i made a bot choose.,.,.,., the result is shown -gestures aggressively towards everything above this note-  
> and 'how old are they?? if they're older,,, i guess they can talk to him more casually because age x respect be like,,," so i tried going with the acquaintance being somewhere close to yamato's age.  
> i decided not to directly reveal who 'him' was at the end, but if you've read part 3, you'll definitely know who it is!
> 
> thanks for reading until the end! i hope you enjoyed it!


	3. level zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were two things Mitsuki wished for ever since he was young; to be an idol like Zero and... height. However, neither turned out well. Just when he surrendered himself to the reality of inheriting the family bakery, an unexpected encounter zeroes in on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chances to make a zero puns? OF COURSE I'LL TAKE IT!! also yes sweet damn! i really like the theory of that if mitsuki didn't end up becoming an idol, he'd inherit 'fonte chocolat' so he just prepared himself for that,,, also HEIGHT. very important to izumi mitsuki!!  
> i love mitsuki so much but this was so,,, infuriating (actually not really) to write,,, it was constantly like "ok am i getting his personality right?? probably not but— screw it, i'm rewriting this", and "this was NOT included in the rabbit chat, time to rewrite" - this was constantly happening,,, and finally, i came to something that low key high key partially satisfies me. here it is. sweet relief.
> 
> hope you enjoy the fanfic!!

For as long as he remembered, there were two things that Mitsuki wanted ever since he was young; to be an idol just like Zero, and… height. However, it seemed like neither of them were going to come true. His growth spurt had never hit him, so he remained at 165cm with his younger brother being 9cm taller than him. That difference was enviable, considering he wished for height since he was five, but to no avail.

The other thing he wished for wasn’t turning out for the best either. He signed up for all auditions that were made available, but failed… time and time again. He didn’t attend auditions with the thought of ‘ _ I’m going to fail _ ’ so rejection and failure always left him in a slump. 

Soon enough, Mitsuki surrendered himself to the reality of inheriting the family owned bakery ‘fonte chocolat’ and made preparations to do so by acquiring a food preparation license and mastering his cooking and baking skills. He often helped out around the bakery so it should’ve been the expected, natural outcome. Until that day.

 

Mitsuki heard Iori’s voice echoing throughout their home. “I’m home!”

“Welcome back!” Mitsuki exclaimed from the kitchen as he donned on his rabbit apron. He headed over to the living room where Iori would be, peering into the area. “Did you get the shopping?”

However, he was stunned at the sight that he’d been greeted with in the living room. On the floor was a man sitting in  _ seiza _ , observing his surroundings curiously. At least that’s what Mitsuki thought he was doing, until he realised the man’s eyes were closed. He’d been clothed in a magenta suit and appeared to be in his late forties.

He jolted slightly from surprise as the man stood up abruptly, then bowed slightly to Mitsuki, “Pardon my intrusion,” he said quickly.

Mitsuki returned the gesture, with only confusion running through his mind. However, he had to provide proper hospitality for their guest. Although he was stopped quickly as he found that the man offered a card to him. A business card, no less. “Please accept this.”

“O-Oh, thank you,” he replied meekly and examined it curiously.

It read ‘ _ Takanashi Productions _ ’. Beneath that was labelled ‘ _ President - Takanashi Otoharu _ ’. He flipped the card around, wondering if there was anything on the back to observe an unknown location and date. He gazed upwards at the man inquisitively.

“I am Takanashi Otoharu,” the man greeted, gesturing towards the card Mitsuki had been holding, and smiled brightly. “I want to make you and Iori-kun debut as idols.”

He stared blankly, and felt adrenaline pumping through his veins, until slapping himself mentally. There was a possibility that he was just being tricked. There was a tremor in his voice as he spoke, hoping that it was true. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” Otoharu confirmed and turned his gaze towards Iori. “I came today specifically to meet your parents so I can obtain permission to debut him as an idol.”

Mitsuki was elated. This was a real, genuine offer to become an idol. He felt like he was on cloud nine. If this was a dream, he wanted to stay in it until he at least debuted. That way, one of his dreams would come true, but in fiction. “I’m seriously dreaming aren’t I?”

“Nii-san,” Iori said, smiling warmly. “This isn’t a dream.”

Mitsuki stole a glance at his brother. No way. This wasn’t a dream. He shook his head, mentally slamming his head onto a wall.

No matter how much he wanted to stay in a dream as realistic as this, he needed to confront reality and wake up. Even in fiction, he decided he wouldn’t allow himself to debut. With that thought in mind, he slapped both his cheeks, the pain ebbing on his face and opened his eyes. In front of him stood Izumi Iori and Takanashi Otoharu.

He wasn’t dreaming. He could feel something bubbling up within him as he quickly bowed deeply to Otoharu. “If you’re ok with me, then I will happily debut with Takanashi Productions.”

Otoharu clapped his hands together, beaming until turning his gaze to Iori. “There’s a possibility that you might need to transfer into a school that’s more lax about attendance because of an idol’s tight schedule. Is that fine with you?”

Iori nodded, much to Mitsuki’s bewilderment. He was never aware that Iori also wanted to become an idol - this was news to him. Just as he was about to raise the topic, the front door opened to reveal both their parents.

“We’re home!” they chorused, and froze, given the situation. A complete stranger in their home with both Mitsuki and Iori at the scene.

“What are you doing?” their father started as he set down the pastry box he brought onto the kitchen counter. He turned his gaze towards both his sons, and gestured towards Otoharu. “Where are your manners? You forgot to serve your guest!”

 

A few minutes later, everybody had been sitting at one table. Each person had a platter of cake and a cup of barley tea in front of them, with tarts at the centre.

“Mother, father,” Iori began, “I want to debut as an idol.”

“Didn’t know you wanted to be an idol Iori,” his mother remarked as she ate a spoonful of strawberry shortcake. “Are you going to start auditioning with your brother as well?”

Iori wondered how he would approach the topic until Otoharu stepped in, offering one of his business cards to them. “I’d like to make both your sons debut as idols.”

“Both?!” their mother exclaimed.

“Of course we’ll allow Mitsuki to debut,” his father said quickly. “He’s wanted it ever since he was young after all. Iori, on the other hand…”

Mitsuki observed Iori fall silent. He seemed to be slightly stressed at this turn in events. However, their father continued. “I’d be very happy if he were to debut with Mitsuki. However, is this what you want? You’ve never spoken about your dreams before, so we’re unsure.”

Mitsuki saw Iori’s shoulders sag, almost in relief until smiling. He found that those jet black irises turned to meet his own orange ones. Iori spoke clearly and confidently. “I wanted to become an idol because of nii-san’s influence. Listening to Zero songs with him, seeing how happy they made him…”

His voice trailed off, the meaning already being conveyed to everyone present in the room. Both parents nodded in acceptance, clearly happy.

Otoharu smiled and turned towards their parents. “Although before the debut, I’d like to have dance lessons with both of them. Would that be ok?”

“Yes,” their father said.

“Thank you,” he replied and stood upwards, heading towards the front door and slipping on his shoes. “With that, I shall take my leave. I’ve imposed on you long enough already. Iori-kun, Mitsuki-kun, I look forward to seeing you again in the future.”

The door closed gently, but it resounded almost like an echo in Mitsuki’s ears. This was the first time he’d been scouted by someone. The reality of it finally hit him as an overwhelming feeling burst within his chest. His lips quivered and he trembled until rising suddenly, jumping in the air. “YES!” he shouted, “I’m so happy! I’m really happy…!”

“Tonight we can have red rice,” his mother suggested eagerly, sharing Mitsuki’s joy.

Tears threatened to fall from his eyes at the prospect of being scouted by an agency. This was real. He would be going to dance lessons, then debuting with Iori. A tear rolled down his face and he quickly wiped it away, running into the bathroom and locking himself there as he wept with joy.

“Nii-san?!” Iori called out.

“I can’t believe this…” he murmured in between sobs. “All of this is real.”

He was happy, and right now, nothing could change that. Izumi Mitsuki had two wishes ever since he was young; to be an idol just like Zero and… height. Right now, he was paving a path on being able to achieve the former.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL some quick references:-  
> • iori's slightly stressed because if his parents didn't allow him to debut, then mitsuki also wouldn't debut since the deal was that if he debuted, then mitsuki would also have to debut - which is also why he's visibly relieved when their parents allow him  
> • "pardon the intrusion" is just like,,, "i'm coming in!" i guess!! it's just polite to say it since you're low key high key imposing on them since they have to provide you hospitality, i.e. taking care of the guest. hospitality for guests are a pretty big thing in japan!! that's why you always see people served tea when they come to a house. the japanese people don't like 'imposing' on each other too much since it means the other people will have to provide a lot of hospitality, so sleeping over at someone else's house can potentially be considered rude  
> • red rice is not literally red,,, it's just.,.,.,,., (a bit red lmao), it's food made on celebratory occasions like birthdays or holidays. 
> 
> also,,, please note that i never mentioned him taking off his cute rabbit apron. so can i like,,, assume this is all happening while his rabbit apron is on, or did he just take it off somewhere?? i leave it to your imagination.,.,.,.,. i made mitsuki cry. -initiate osaka sougo imitation- "time to commit seppuku" (sougo is so bloody melodramatic omg) BUT in my defense lol, he got so happy this one rabbit chat that he literally locked himself in the bathroom to cry tears of joy (and i totally used it LOL),,, the part that came after that part was hilarious though, i think yamato said he needed to go bathroom and iori told him to hold it in. HILARIOUS  
> biggest problem: their parents appeared in a rabbit chat a few times,,, but idk how to write them so i casted personalities onto them instead -cries-
> 
> i hope you enjoyed the fic!! yotsuba tamaki will be next! look forward to it


	4. the lonely dancer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tamaki often danced alongside his friends on the streets. It was an easy way to do something he enjoyed. On a day where he does it by himself, he encounters a man that seems to be interested in his dancing potential.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title?? was definitely contemplating on 'from streets to concerts', 'a place to call home', or 'the lonely dancer'  
> writing this chapter was literally so hard?? no joke,,, ok so if you've read the indoor festival chats, tamaki blatantly admits that he doesn't really know what the president is talking about until he says he'll be on tv,,, tamaki, was tv the only thing you understood? -cries for tamaki- so it was just like "does that mean he has a low level of intelligence or am i missing something? how should i write his character?" so i decided a bit less uninformed than most, so he doesn't know much and just describes things as he sees it - a very straightforward and honest boy!! tbh,,, i was very concerned that i may have underestimated his intelligence,.,.,., i definitely hope not -sighs-
> 
> anyways,,, i hope you enjoy this chapter!!

Tamaki enjoyed dancing on the streets with his friends. It was a way to express himself  _ and  _  earn some quick cash for King Pudding. However, it just so happened to be he would be having a solo performance today. His friends were preoccupied with tasks that involved their family. He set down the hat where people would usually toss their coins into and the occasional notes, then began to dance freely.

Family tasks weren’t something he could relate to anymore. He lost his only family - his sister, Aya when she’d been fostered by someone. However, he failed to protect her. Aya’s foster family went into bankruptcy. If he didn’t find her soon, she wouldn’t be able to attend high school. That fact invigorated him, and it gradually turned his dance into one of passion, and bittersweetness.

He needed to get his name out there somehow, and he decided that method would be TV. Almost everyone watched TV, but the problem was, how would he get on TV? That was an entirely different problem. With that thought, he landed back onto the ground from one of his dance moves and shot his hand upwards, concluding his dance. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead and wiped it away with the back of his hand. He glanced upwards to see people gazing at him, until they gradually began to applaud with astonishment on each of their faces. He bent down to pick up his hat, wondering how much King Pudding he could buy with this amount.

“You’re a very good dancer,” a foreign voice called out.

Tamaki directed his gaze upwards to see a man that stood out from the rest. He was different in terms of clothing, and his age. He’d been wearing a magenta red suit, while he was definitely a lot older than Tamaki was. With that observation, he relaxed. He didn’t need to feel wary of this man. He could easily beat the man with a kick or two.

“I’m Takanashi Otoharu,” he said, offering his business card to Tamaki who immediately took it and stared at it blankly. The top read ‘ _ Takanashi Productions _ ’, beneath it were the words ‘ _ President - Takanashi Otoharu _ ’. “Whoa, it’s your name… Takanashi…” he paused, wondering what sort of honourific he should’ve used and continued, “Takanashi-san.” .

“That’s right,” Otoharu agreed, confirming that it was his name. “It’s my business card after all. What’s your name?”

“Yotsuba…” he replied vaguely. Should he have given his first name to this complete stranger? The people at the orphanage often told all the children not to give out their name to random strangers. He wasn’t wary of him but what was Otoharu getting at? He decided not to heed their warning, continuing on from before. “Yotsuba Tamaki…”

“Then Tamaki-kun,” Otoharu started as he clapped his hands together. “I want to debut you as an idol.”

Tamaki stared blankly at the man. Idol? Debut? He didn’t really get any of it, aside from the fact that the old man was trying to approach a serious topic. However, all of it was just flying above Tamaki’s head. He tilted his head to the side curiously. “Is it something where I get food?”

Otoharu hummed in thought as he considered the question seriously. “...Maybe if you collaborate with a food company, but other than that, no.”

Collaborating with a food company…? He didn’t get that either, but dismissed it. The word that mattered the most was ‘no’ - if it wasn’t something he was going to get food from, then what did he get from it?

“Hey, Takanashi-san, do I get anything from…” he paused, attempting to recall the word from earlier, then spoke again. “Debuting as an idol?”

“Well, you do get to be on TV—”

“I get to be on TV?!” he exclaimed.

Almost in an instant, he was caught by the prospect of ‘debuting as an idol’ with Otoharu. If he could get on television. Food didn’t matter right now - the appeal of Aya potentially being able to see him on television and find him was more important than anything else, even King Pudding.

“I want to ‘debut as an idol’ Takanashi-san!” he exclaimed, now full of vigour. “Can I?!”

Otoharu smiled at him, “If that’s the case, then please come to the office.”

 

Tamaki did so obediently and realised he’d been standing outside a building that read ‘ _ Takanashi Productions _ ’. He gazed at it in awe, it was larger than his orphanage, but a lot smaller than the big buildings he saw in the sky. He vaguely recalled the card, also mentioning this place. He saw Otoharu waiting for him to enter, and jogged forward quickly, murmuring an apology for taking so long. Tamaki was told that it was ok, saying he could take as long as he wanted.

He glanced around curiously as they entered the building to hear footsteps in the distance, with a man’s voice calling out ‘ _ Kinako! Wait! _ ’ and something that sounded like ‘ _ Myu! Myu! _ ’ as a reply. He stole a glance at Otoharu to see him chuckling slightly, but not doing anything about the background noise, so Tamaki followed suit, ignoring it as well.

“Do you have any family Tamaki-kun?” Otoharu inquired curiously.

He considered the question thoughtfully. His mother was deceased, so should he have spoken about her? Probably not. His father was a despicable excuse for a human being, so he decided not to mention him either. The only person he could have spoken about was his sister, Yotsuba Aya.

“I have a big family,” he replied sheepishly, extending both his arms outwards. “But that’s at the orphanage. I have just one sister.”

He saw Otoharu frown, and wonder if he ruined the mood with the word ‘orphanage’. He could read the mood, but it was difficult to read someone’s thoughts. However, he refused to apologise for potentially destroying the mood. He was asked a question, and he replied honestly, yet if this ended up eliminating his chance to see Aya again… then—

“My family just has my daughter and I,” Otoharu replied, cutting through Tamaki’s train of thought. His frown gradually shifted into a smile. “She’s around your age.”

Tamaki smiled, glad that he hadn’t ruined the mood and felt his shoulders sag in relief. Otoharu spoke again. “Tamaki-kun, do you like dancing?”

He nodded firmly.

“Why?”

_ Why…? _ Tamaki thought. “I’m not sure how debuting as an idol works…” he started and steadily met the gaze of Otoharu. It was a bit awkward since the latter‘s eyes were closed though. “But does it mean I need a reason to like something?”

“Of course not,” he replied, “I was just curious and wanted to talk to you for a bit.”

Tamaki stared blankly at Otoharu. He just wanted to talk? He could feel his stomach rumble slightly from hunger as he recalled he hadn’t eaten anything yet. He was going to go for King Pudding after dancing, until Otoharu approached him.

“Then…” Tamaki began, “I’ll talk if you buy me some food.”

* * *

“Hey, Takanashi-san,” Tamaki said, gesturing towards one item on the menu. “What’s this noodle-looking thing?”

Otoharu leaned over to see what Tamaki had been pointing at until smiling, “Oh, that’s spaghetti!”

Spaghetti? He didn’t know what it was, it wasn’t like the food they served at the orphanage. They usually served miso soup, grilled mackerel, rice, or rolled omelettes.

He pointed at the spaghetti energetically, “Then I want to have this!”

“Of course, then please wait here for a moment,” he replied and stood up, heading over to the counter.

A few seconds after, Otoharu returned and pocketed a receipt. Tamaki gazed at him. He emitted a warm aura, full of kindness. He must’ve been a good person, Otoharu even bought him food when he could’ve refused after all.

“Do you have anything you like Tamaki-kun?” Otoharu inquired.

“King Pudding!” he exclaimed. It was an instant response. If there was anyone that didn’t like it, then he would convince them otherwise. “But I also like dancing. Takanashi-san, you asked me why I enjoyed dancing right?”

“Yes.”

“I can express myself through dancing,” he replied vaguely, until continuing on. “Sometimes I don’t know how to put it into words, or when I don’t know what to do, everything can be vented out through dancing. Even if nobody else understands, I can.”

“It sounds like a secret method of communication or talking,” Otoharu remarked eagerly.

“When you put it that way, it sounds cool.”

“Tamaki-kun, that’s because it  _ is _ cool.”

Tamaki smiled shyly, until a platter of spaghetti was set in front of him. It looked nice, and there was an aromatic smell about it - however there was just one thing he didn’t like. The parsley in the centre of the plate.

He  _ hated _ vegetables with a passion. They were gross. In fact, that was putting it simple. He refused to eat them, and that was final. What would he have done in this situation though?

Someone bought him food. Wouldn’t it be rude to not finish it? The head masters of the orphanage always scolded him for not finishing it, telling him to eat his vegetables… time and time again.

“Tamaki-kun, is there something wrong with the food?” Otoharu inquired.

Concern lined the voice of Otoharu. He really was a good person. He’d allow him to be a little selfish… right?

“I don’t like vegetables,” he mumbled, just barely audible. He picked up a fork, pushing it to the side in distaste, then stole a glance at Otoharu who had fallen silent.

All of a sudden, he began to laugh, yet it wasn’t one mocking him, or one of chagrin. It was of happiness. “So that’s what it was…” Otoharu breathed and smiled warmly. “I was so worried you were allergic to something in the spaghetti. If that’s the case, then it’s ok! Like what you like, dislike what you dislike. If it brings happiness to you, then that’s what matters.”

Otoharu understood him. He wasn’t like the people at the orphanages that scolded him for not eating his vegetables. Tamaki was sure he’d make a wonderful father, unlike his own.

He ate the spaghetti in relish, avoiding the vegetables in the food. Spaghetti was delicious. It was amazing, and the person sitting before him was also amazing.

“Do you want to be an idol for any specific reason?” Otoharu said curiously as they finally stepped out of the restaurant, about to depart ways.

“I want to be on TV,” he replied instantly. He decided to omit the details of wanting to find Aya. “And if I can dance as being an idol, then I’ll be happy because I can do something I enjoy.”

“Where did you learn your dancing from Tamaki-kun?”

“From the internet,” Tamaki replied, “I watched people dance and then just copied it.”

“Wow…” he breathed, until smiling brightly. “By just looking at the internet… you were self-taught then. You have a lot of potential.”

Silence wafted through the air between them, neither speaking until Tamaki realised that this was when they were going to separate into different paths. It was the same feeling he experienced from when Aya had been taken into a foster family.

“Is this where we say goodbye?”

“It’s not ‘goodbye’ but rather ‘see you later’.”

With that, Otoharu began to leave. He felt like he should’ve said something.

“Will we be seeing each other again?” Tamaki murmured.

“We will,” Otoharu replied, turning back to face Tamaki. “You live at an orphanage right? I’ll come drop by to see you.”

Tamaki smiled, feeling something bubble up within his chest, as it invigorated him. He wanted to dance, not just to earn money to buy King Pudding, but to express this feeling to Otoharu. He refrained from doing so, yet couldn’t stop the smile from continuously spreading across his face as he grinned from ear to ear.

* * *

Otoharu often dropped by the orphanage. When he arrived, he was repeatedly surrounded by the children, whilst some of the teenagers stared at him in awe, commenting ‘ _ Whoa! It’s a man in a suit! _ ’, ‘ _ He’s sparkling with wealth! _ ’, or ‘ _ I wonder why he’s here… _ ’. Strange comments like those often circulated around the orphanage, each of them curious as to why he was approaching Tamaki and the headmaster during his visits.

However, the remarks soon ceased as he became a frequent visitor. Those rumours gradually shifted into that of everyone believing Yotsuba Tamaki was going to be the next one fostered or adopted.

Days after, Otoharu returned again. This time, he had come to speak with Tamaki. He offered him a card once again. Tamaki flipped it around to see the familiar location of ‘ _ Takanashi Productions _ ’ and a date that was somewhat in the near future. “Tamaki-kun. I’ll be making living arrangements at a dormitory for you, so…”

Otoharu’s words left him, yet the meaning came across. Tamaki would be leaving the orphanage. He could feel the gazes of all the children and the friends he had made during his stay here. He’d been staying here for so long, yet it felt like his home. No - it  _ was _ his home. His new home would’ve been at the dormitory Otoharu mentioned. He stole a glance behind him. He made many memories here. They weren’t all sad, yet they weren’t the happiest either.

It was the place where he and Aya had stayed together after their mother was deceased. It was a place where they would take care of one another happily, until she left. It was a reminder of all the time he spent with Aya, but also a constant reminder of how he failed to protect Aya.

Alas, he would be leaving that place, along with the memories they made together there when he moved. His eyes glossed over due to the feelings that gradually began to overwhelm him. With Otoharu, he may have been able to see Aya again. It wasn’t like this was the end. He could always come back to the orphanage when he wanted to see everyone.

“Got it,” he mumbled, “I’ll say ‘ _ see you later _ ’ to everyone.”

_ It’s going to be lonely _ , he thought to himself. For all his life, he had a roommate. He probably wasn’t going to have one when he moved into the dormitory, yet he was kind of happy. He’d have a room to himself for once.

With that, Otoharu turned on his heel and began to leave, waving to Tamaki. He needed a way to express this feeling that welled up within him - gratitude. A dance was something only he could understand. Words were something everybody could understand. He inhaled sharply, and yelled out to Otoharu in the far distance.

“Takanashi-san! See you later, and thank you!”

_ For understanding me… for accepting me… and for giving me a chance to see Aya again. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some quick references:-  
> • the orphanage is occasionally called a 'facility' by i7, but i decided to use 'orphanage' here! i guess it just feels more,,, natural? idk maybe it's just me  
> • i believe in a rabbit chat somewhere he mentions that he was self-taught regarding his dancing by just watching the internet and then copying it and tsumugi was like "amazing!! so you're self-taught!"  
> • tamaki states somewhere he uses dancing to express himself, while also somebody (during the singing and dancing ban) that tamaki must be frustrated since he uses dancing to express himself  
> • from what i know, there's no canon info given about the meals from the orphanage but i safely assumed it was something more common!! i mean,,, you often see people eating grilled mackerel, miso soup and rice for brekky so i used that, rolled omelettes for bento boxes, etc. so i just decided to use that instead  
> • since i decided to make tamaki a little more uninformed than others, the 'big building in the sky' are skyscrapers!  
> • in ch4 of the manga (nokoshi yamada), it's shown that tamaki despises veggies so much, but he tries eating it for sougo's sake but then ends up spitting it out, whereas he (tanemura arina) refuses to eat peas in his meal, saying he can't eat it and refuses to do so (well he was a kid back then so i don't think it's an allergy with peas, but rather i'm not eating it so i can't eat it)  
> • in a rabbit chat, tamaki said he's always had at least one (or more) room mate so i've used that. apparently, that's why he's so unnerved when sleeping alone now, considering there was always someone else with him
> 
>  
> 
> after i finished writing this, i was like "ahhh, i'm done, so satisfied,,," and then a day or two later i realised "oH CRAP!! i forgot to write about how takapapa came to tamaki's orphanage" and had to throw that scene it. biggest struggle: television or TV. i was so tempted to use 'kira kira' for when the kids were talking about otoharu 'sparkling with wealth'
> 
> lmao i was originally going to write "Tamaki could dream of his father dying and wake up laughing" but that was too morbid so i changed it up, because,,, you know,,,
> 
> hope you enjoyed this chapter!! next up is osaka sougo!


	5. forging a new path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Osaka Sougo is a man that already has a path set out for him in life, and that’s to be the heir to FSC. However, being a part of the music industry was his passion, yet it was a forbidden path for him ever since his uncle passed away. That fact was supposed to be set in stone as he ingrained it into him, until he meets a strange man one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was actually the first one i wrote out of all seven,,, not gonna lie i have a huge osaka sougo bias!! he's a beautiful man lmao,,,  
> was contemplating on the titles of 'music', 'a man weak to pressure', 'never give up' and 'forging a new path'. the last two were my personal favs so it was difficult to choose,,,  
> it was so difficult to write because sougo moves really quickly in the indoor festival chat, he's just like "before i knew it, we were sitting across each other at a coffee shop" with absolutely no background asides from him walking around town (thanks for making my life hard osaka sougo but ily anyway)
> 
> hope you enjoy this fic!!

Osaka Sougo was a man that had many expectations placed on him, and his future had already been decided for him since he was born - to be the heir to FSC. He’d been studying a business degree in college just as his father had wanted him to. He was a puppet, moving along to each and every one of his father’s commands until night fell. The night was when the puppeteer had released him, and then the whole world would be his for just a moment.

His fingers glided across the spines of the music albums that lay dormant on his shelf until he selected one. He extracted it from the album, and his violet eyes glistened as he opened the cover, the CD waiting to be played. He inserted it into a player, placing the headphones over his ears. He relaxed as the music began to play and plopped onto his bed, exhausted from the day.

It wasn’t that he was dissatisfied with this life… he almost had everything he wanted. If he asked for something, it would most certainly be granted to him - except for one thing. Anything relating to the music industry.

He wasn’t permitted to pursue a career in that field at all due to his deceased uncle. Something as ‘unstable and stressful’ as the music industry was forbidden, and that was final. There were to be no arguments or protests regarding that. It had been ingrained into Sougo by his father ever since his uncle’s funeral, but he never adhered to those words. Music was forbidden territory, but during the night, he’d wander into it all by himself.

* * *

 

Sougo walked through the outskirts of the town as he had finished classes earlier than usual today. He hummed one of the tunes that his deceased uncle often played for him. It brought him strange nostalgia and sweet melancholy.

“Myu! Myu!”

His humming came to a stop at the foreign noise, glancing around curiously to see a strange man approaching him. What he might’ve considered a little stranger was the pink… _fluff ball_ that the man had been holding. There was a tinted burgundy ribbon donned on it, with two ears hanging from the small animal. He wondered if it was a plush, considering it hadn’t moved in the slightest - but he swore he heard something like ‘ _Myu_ ’ from it just a few moments ago. The man patted the pink fluff ball until smiling at him.

“Excuse me,” he started, “Can we speak for a moment?”

Sougo normally turned down these invitations. This would’ve been the same. They’d leave once he gave them a solid ‘ _no thank you_ ’. “No thank you,” he replied coolly. _Alright!_ He thought to himself. _I pulled it off perfectly._ Despite pulling off his refusal correctly and feeling a personal sense of accomplishment at that fact, the man hadn’t retreated just yet.

Instead, the man took a step closer whilst continuing to smile, “Please. It’s only just a moment. I won’t take up too much of your time.”

“Uh, I’m a bit—” Sougo started nervously. He wasn’t expecting this reaction.

“It’ll only be ten— no, I’ll make it only five minutes! Now, let’s go! I know this nice coffee shop just a walk away from us. It’s right over there.”

With that, he pointed out a coffee shop quite a few metres away from them. The man’s eyes weren’t open, but he could feel an expectant gaze on him. Was it the little pink fluff ball’s gaze? No, no, surely it was just a plush of some sort. He hesitated, but decided to follow the man to the coffeeshop. He was weak to pressure, especially when people were quite insistent like this man was.

* * *

 

The pink fluff ball was now gone. It had been passed onto a dark blue-haired man that had his hair tied up into a ponytail. He had bowed apologetically to the man, and then left. Sougo curiously asked who it was and the man had only replied with ‘ _Oh? That’s Kinako!_ ’ He was surprised that a man would have such a feminine name, and was completely unaware that misunderstandings had ensued between them.

As they entered the store, the scent of freshly brewed coffee instantly embraced Sougo whilst a jazzy song began to play. It occurred to him that his uncle might’ve liked the song. Perhaps he’d ask the staff later what the title is, and listen to it himself.

“What would you like?” the man inquired. “I’ll pay since I was the one that invited you here.”

“T-Then black coffee please,” Sougo replied shyly. He thought he’d been paying for his own drink, but he’d already been imposing on this nameless stranger.

A moment later, he returned with two cups and saucers with freshly poured coffee. The man clapped his hands together, smiling happily. “Now, let’s cut the chase then shall we? I promised it to be five minutes after all. I’m Takanashi Otoharu, president of Takanashi productions.”

With that greeting, he set down his business card on the table and slid it over to Sougo’s side. He picked it up curiously. ‘ _Takanashi Productions_ ’… he pocketed the card into his jacket and took a sip of the coffee in relish. It was good. He quickly realised how he’d forgotten his manners despite how much they’d been grinded into him for the past 20 years of his life. He instantly set the cup back down onto the saucer, introducing himself in a slightly flustered manner due to the mishap of forgetting to do so earlier.

“I’m Osaka Sougo,” he said quickly, deciding to omit the details that he was the next heir to FSC. It wasn’t necessary information after all.

“Osaka Sougo-kun,” Otoharu started, “I want you to debut with my agency as an idol.”

“A-An idol?!” he exclaimed, then quickly lowered his voice, realising they had attracted the gazes of several other customers. He cast his gaze downwards shyly, but knew he had to quickly refuse. What was his father going to say if he accepted an offer like this? However an opportunity like this didn’t come everyday… he was almost certain he would have regretted it if he turned the invitation down now.

No - he had to think of FSC. It was the life that had already been set out for him ever since he was born and he’d been following it for a solid 20 years. Why would he change that nw? He bowed his head sincerely. “I’m sorry, I can’t accept your offer. There’s no way… I mean, I’m not suitably equipped for the music industry.”

Sougo smiled sheepishly. He couldn’t retract those words. He was sure Otoharu would retreat, after meeting refusal for the second time - yet once again, his expectations were betrayed. The older man took a sip of his coffee and set down the cup onto the saucer with a gentle ‘ _clink_ ’ sound.

Otoharu gazed upwards to smile at Sougo, opening his eyes to reveal beautiful, scarlet pink irises that had been staring directly into his. Sougo’s heart skipped a beat at the surprise. Otoharu spoke once again as he smiled confidently. “The smile I saw you wear when you were humming that song earlier is far more radiant than the one I’m seeing right now.”

Sougo clenched his fists at the revelation - the exposure that he felt in this very moment. He should’ve been content with the life he had right now. He could have anything and everything he wanted. If he asked for something, it would be given to him, regardless of what it was - overseas trips… wealth… except for one thing. The music industry.

The dream that slumbered within him gradually began to awaken because of the man that sat in front of him. Sougo had positively convinced himself that he was content with the life he had now, but he was deceiving himself all this time. Each and every one of those walls were beaten down by this man he’d barely acquainted himself with.

However, he could’ve continued treading the path of FSC. _Refuse one more time Osaka Sougo_ , he thought to himself. Otoharu Takanashi most likely would’ve retreated at another refusal. Sougo knew he would have - yet somewhere in him, he was hoping that Otoharu didn’t. The older man was constantly betraying his expectations, so he’d hoped the outcome was the same again. If he did end up withdrawing, he’d have no one to blame but himself if he were to regret it.

“I already have a life set out for me,” Sougo began, “My parents expect me to inherit the family business.”

“...Rather than a life that’s already been prepared for you, don’t you think you’d want to try forging your own path?” Otoharu argued.

Everyone in his family always said it constantly, almost like they were preaching. Music was unprofitable, unnecessary and a waste of time. He wanted to prove them wrong. His uncle loved music. Osaka Sougo loved music. It wasn’t a waste of time. He was sincerely passionate about it. He’d take this chance. Forge a new walkway in the linear path that he’d been walking for so long.

“I want to debut with Takanashi Productions,” Sougo murmured until gazing upwards to meet the eyes of Otoharu. “I want to debut as an idol with your agency!”

Otoharu smiled sincerely at him accepting the offer. He bowed deeply to Sougo, with him returning the same gesture. With that, they parted ways - the coffee now lukewarm and their time together having extended more than five minutes.

\--

Sougo was drained of colour as he realised the impulsive decision he made. What was he going to do with college? What about the life that had already been set out for him? Most importantly of all… what was he going to do about his father? There was absolutely no way to convince him, but even so he was going to risk it. Those thoughts lingered within his mind as he glanced at Otoharu’s business card. He had written the time and location for when he should’ve headed to the agency.

As he returned home, his heart accelerated far more than before and he felt like he was going to start quivering. He approached one of their housekeepers. “Excuse me, has my father returned back home yet?”

“Sougo-san!” they exclaimed, almost in surprise, which surprised him as well. “Welcome home. You’re back early today. Also, your father hasn’t returned home yet. He’ll be returning in the evening or somewhere tonight. Is something the matter?”

“Nothing is wrong,” he replied shyly. Sougo felt like he was going to die from anticipation from how long he had to wait for his father to return back home. He sighed as he headed upstairs to his room, stealing a glance at his father’s room just a few metres away. He opened one of his drawers and popped out one of the tablets. It was his stomach medicine. He swallowed it with an additional gulp of water, then plopped on his headphones to listen to the music that would always be his temporary getaway from the stress of his life.

 

It was only a faint greeting, but Sougo could hear the chorused ‘ _Welcome back home Osaka-san_ ’. He exited from his room which was on the second floor, and stood above his father, if only temporarily and in physicality. “Father, I wish to speak with you.”

“So I’ve heard,” he mused, “What is it?”

Sougo descended down the staircase, feeling his heart thrum against his chest with sweat building on his forehead and his palms. “Father, I want you to listen to me earnestly.”

His father hummed in thought, “It’s been a while since we’ve spoken like this. I hope you aren’t going to waste my time. Sit with me on the table, Sougo and we’ll have a proper discussion.”

 

Sougo wasn’t going to wait. He expressed the desire for instant gratification right now. He needed an answer. “I was scouted by an idol company,” he blurted out, and decided he’d omit the details of it being Takanashi Productions. Knowing his father, he would’ve reduced the business to bankruptcy with just a click of his fingers. “I want to be an idol.”

“You were scouted by an idol company?!” his father barked and shook his head. He rubbed his temples, as if to soothe an incoming migraine. “Enough of this nonsense Sougo. You can’t be an idol. What will you do about college?!”

“I want to drop out of college.”

His father paused and then turned on his heel to face Sougo. “Are you serious?”

“I want to use that time to devote my entire being to music.”

“This is absurd! Are you telling me you want to invest your time into such a ridiculous task?”

Sougo clenched his fists determinedly. Music wasn’t ridiculous. “Yes. My uncle loved music, and so do I.”

His father pointed an accusing finger at Sougo, to his surprise but quickly reverted back to his defiant manner. His father spoke sourly, “I allowed you to sate your desires through purchasing all of those intolerable albums, and this is where your gratitude leads you? Absolutely despicable.”

“Just listening to them isn’t good enough. I want to be a part of it.”

“Once you’re the president of FSC, you can be a part of it,” his father pointed out. “You can sponsor a band’s talk shows or their concerts _if_ it’s profitable.”

“No. I want to be a part of it directly,” Sougo declared, “I want to be able to dance or sing alongside people that share this one dream.”

Sougo was aware that his father was clearly frustrated at his behaviour, however it seemed as though he reached his limit. “You’re serious about this aren’t you?”

He nodded firmly, only to be met with his father’s exasperated sigh. “The reason why you can’t succeed in music should be obvious if you just remember your uncle. You will never be successful, even if you try to go through with it.”

Despite those words, Sougo continued to meet the gaze of his father, and wore a defiant expression. This was his life, and the only person that could’ve made it fun was himself. His father tore his gaze away from Sougo, obviously tired of this argument.

“...Pack your things. I’ll provide you with a suitcase if you need it,” his father commanded, “You can do whatever you want now, but I’m disinheriting you. Leave by morning.”

Sougo bit his bottom lip. He was stunned, shocked and he definitely couldn’t retract his decision, but where would he stay afterwards? He’d sleep in one of the nearby parks or crash at a friend’s place, and do chores for them in return for staying there. He was confident in his cooking and cleaning skills. He could live like that for now. The date of when he should’ve gone to the agency wasn’t too far away.

He returned to his room, packing in some of his clothes and his wallet. His meals would definitely need to be cheaper, but he could still afford Tabasco sauce. It was a must after all. He paused, gazing upwards to look at the shelf of music albums he’d no longer have access to the moment he left this household. That fact saddened him. He decided to only take the albums his uncle had made. As for the others, he could buy them again at a later date. He stood at the door, deciding to burn the image of this room into his mind. Tomorrow, this would be a vacant space and he would never return.

Sougo strengthened his resolve as he felt a flame be kindled within him. _Music isn’t a waste of time - it’s something that people enjoy and love. And to prove it, I’ll stop at nothing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some quick references again!!  
> • somewhere in one of the rabbit chats, sougo mentions that he slept at the nearby parks or stayed at a friend's place for when he was disowned (which is why otoharu made living arrangements asap). it's not canonically mentioned that sougo does anything in exchange for staying at his friend's place but i decided to throw it in anyway cause i'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to be a freeloader  
> • in the manga (tanemura arina), his father was aware that sougo had been scouted by an idol company cause he was like "you were scouted by an idol company?! what are you going to do about college? the reason why you can't succeed in music should be obvious if you just remember your uncle! you will never be successful, even if you go through with it" and ofc,,, that made my life a lot harder!! i had to somehow throw them in while making sougo reference that he was scouted, without posing a threat to takanashi productions
> 
> hope you enjoyed it!! look forward to the next one; rokuya nagi!


	6. good fortune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagi would often reminisce of his days with Haruki when they spent their days together in Northmarea. When their time came to an end, the only thing he had been left with were Haruki’s songs which were originally intended for Zero. He sends it anonymously to an agency, which ends up resulting in an unexpected encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forgive me,,, i'm literally like, 5 days late in posting this. in my defense,,, i've been busy and i slammed the accelerator and crashed straight into writer's block with nagi's chapter. like,,, i had no idea what to write. nagi barely provides ANY context. he is basically like 'otoharu told me his story and i began to like him'. and it's just me with 'what story?? please share the details" so please, just cue me writing nagi's story 10 times and looking at the last one and being like 'ok, this will work'  
> BUT HEY thanks to writer's block, i'm publishing this on nagi's birthday. happy birthday to the sunshine boy of i7!!  
> anyways, since i'm 389472 days late, riku's story is instantly going to be posted right after this ofc  
> also seriously,,, northmarea and northmare? i'll never know, also,,, damn it was so difficult to think of a way to differentiate english and northmarean,,, didn't want to italicise them both
> 
> hope you enjoy this fic!!

Nagi fondly recalled his days with Haruki back in Northmarea. Haruki would speak of Japan, Zero, a man by the name of Takanashi Otoharu, and the treasures that lay within the country. Haruki made it seem as if he were speaking of a legendary treasure chest that one would find in a forbidden journey. Nagi’s role in Northmarea was far too important that it was practically forbidden for him to leave, regardless of how much he wanted to see those ‘treasures’. He was to assist in matters relating to international exchange and the cultural enclave of Northmarea.

Together, the two spent their days happily and cheerfully. However, their time together was cut short - far too suddenly, and without warning. Haruki was ill, and soon enough, he had disappeared off the face of the earth, simply as if he’d been spirited away. The only thing that remained with Nagi was the songs that Haruki had written which were originally intended for the idol Zero.

It was a collection of songs that were yet to be sung. Nagi had flipped through them since Haruki’s disappearance, examining each of them. ‘ _Monster Generation_ ’, ‘ _Wish Voyage_ ’, ‘ _Dancing Beat_ ’, ‘ _Sakura Message_ ’... there were many but he didn’t have enough time to view everything. It would’ve been a waste for the songs to gather dust within his room so he decided that he would send it to someone, but not anyone would do. It had to be someone worthy.

He gradually began to recall his conversations with Haruki regarding the man named Takanashi Otoharu. Having investigated that man, he found that Otoharu owned an agency by the name of ‘ _Takanashi Productions_ ’. With that in mind, he sent the songs anonymously to him, and everything should’ve been completed then, but it wasn’t. His mind forbid him to forget about it; the songs, Haruki and Takanashi Otoharu.

It became slightly irksome that he didn’t know what was happening with Haruki’s songs. It didn’t disturb his work, but rather it was difficult knowing that he purposely left himself in the dark. His productivity gradually decreased as it weighed down his mind. Soon enough, he came up with the decision to go to Japan. He could no longer stand this. He was permitted to travel there, under the condition that he brought a companion, or rather - a guard with him. After this, his desire for knowledge should have been sated

* * *

Japan was a wonderful place. He found many things that he loved. The Japanese women were beautiful, Magical Kokona was amazing, and Akihabara, the place of anime and manga paraphernalia… he wanted to build his own palace there. Despite all that, his original objective in having decided to come to Japan never faded.

Nagi had been observing Otoharu from a distance, wondering what he would do with the songs. There hadn’t been too much movement from what he saw. It was strange. Was Otoharu the kind of man that would let wonderful songs gather dust? Haruki had spoken about how Otoharu was sharp-witted, kind and open-hearted. Nagi had never spoken to the man before, so he couldn’t confirm either of those facts.

It was on one of his free days without work that he, along with his companion, stood at an avenue which was a few metres away from ‘ _Takanashi Productions_ ’ with his companion. He had been thinking of extending his trip in Japan for the sake of continuing to observe Otoharu, and to collect products relating to Magical Kokona. He now saw why his mother was so fascinated with Japanese culture.

Suddenly, his train of thought was interrupted when his companion spoke in Northmarean. “There is a man approaching us.”

Nagi instantly cast his gaze forward to see a man closing the distance between them. He was in his late forties and wore a magenta coloured suit. Without a doubt, he recognised the man to be  Takanashi Otoharu. He nodded in affirmation, wondering if Otoharu would pass them by. However, he didn’t and had stopped a fair distance away from Nagi and his companion. Nagi’s companion had increased his guard, growing increasingly wary of Otoharu.

“Be still,” Nagi said, speaking in Northmarean. From the data he had collected, Otoharu didn’t know a speck about Northmarea. “Let us listen to what he has to say first.”

His companion nodded in acceptance, slightly less wary of Otoharu due to Nagi’s command. With that, he turned to Otoharu and began to speak Japanese. “Is something the matter?”

Otoharu hummed in thought, almost as if he wasn’t listening until smiling fondly. “Forgive me for staring, I was just simply admiring your beauty.”

Nagi didn’t know whether it was sarcastic or not, considering the man’s eyes had been closed the entire time as Nagi was being ‘stared’ at by Otoharu. Although honesty had lined each of the words that fell from Otoharu’s mouth. Far more honest than the smiles that he’d been presented with in Northmarea. Back there, beneath each word of praise was hatred, jealousy and condemnation. In front of him, people would’ve lied as easily as they breathed.

Just as he was about to thank Otoharu for his genuine praise, Otoharu spoke again kindly. “I have only seen two more people beautiful than you.”

This piqued Nagi’s interest. Who was it that exceeded his beauty? Would they have been used just as he had been because of their beauty? He had hoped not. Such cruelty shouldn’t have befallen anyone. “May I ask who those two people are?”

He turned his gaze away from Nagi, and replied, almost as if he were a little shy. “My wife and daughter.”

“ _Oh!_ ” Nagi exclaimed. He could feel the edges of his lips perking upwards at such a heartfelt answer. It was different from the responses he was used to. “ _How wonderful!_ Won’t you tell me more? I like hearing these sorts of things.”

It was especially heartwarming when the people that usually surrounded him were full of deceit or bad intentions. Haruki was his first proper friend. They enjoyed each other’s company. Enjoying cups of tea and coffee in the mornings, laughing away the afternoon together, dining together in the evenings, and bantering at night with an occasional glass of wine or champagne. There were many other things, but he kept everything close to his heart.

“I don’t have much to talk about,” Otoharu remarked thoughtfully, until it seemed as though something had occurred to him. “My name is Takanashi Otoharu, and you?”

“I am Rokuya Nagi,” he said then gestured towards his companion. “And this is a companion of mine.”

“Nagi-kun… I see… my bad. Did I interrupt you during a friend outing?”

“ _No!_ We were on our way to…” Nagi paused, quickly trying to think of something. “A concert.”

“A concert?” Otoharu parroted, “Do you like songs?”

“I don’t like them, I love them,” he corrected kindly, “What do you think about songs?”

“Me?” Otoharu paused, genuinely thinking about the question. “Songs are beautiful, I also love them. They allow us a glimpse into a person’s heart, because songs and dances are a way for people to express themselves. They are the instruments of the body.”

Nagi agreed wholeheartedly, having nodded at Otoharu’s words. He knew Haruki would write songs to express himself; his sorrows, his happiness, anything really. Despite Otoharu’s response, why was he allowing Haruki’s songs to gather dust?

However, Otoharu spoke again, a smile playing on his lips. “Although I must say, just recently I came upon a few songs worth treasuring.”

 _Haruki’s songs_ , Nagi thought instantly. It took less than a moment for it to hit him. He smiled, wondering if there was a way for him to goad out the plans that Otoharu had in mind. He was genuinely curious this time.

He had already established that Otoharu wouldn’t have used it for evil purposes. A man that shared the view of songs being a medium to express oneself would never have bad intentions towards songs.

“...Do you like listening to them?” Nagi inquired.

“I will once I hear them,” Otoharu replied eagerly, “However, they are yet to be sung. I intend on gathering people that will be passionate in singing these songs. Being able to sing these songs happily with joy in their hearts… that is the outcome I desire. Nagi-kun, won’t you be a part of it? I want to scout you as an idol.”

With that, Otoharu offered his business card to Nagi. He accepted it without hesitation, despite already knowing the information that had been presented on the card. As he gazed at the card, he smiled calculatively.

He had sent the songs to Otoharu and now they’d encountered each other on an avenue closeby to the office. While he was contemplating on extending his trip in Japan, he’d been offered a contract to debut as an idol with his agency, Takanashi Productions. He could continue to watch Otoharu, but from all angles - it was just like those dramas he had often watched where the protagonist would’ve been able to observe their enemy at close quarters.

“This is nothing but a continuous stroke of good fortune…” Nagi thought aloud, although he had been able to murmur it just under his breath.

Furthermore, he had enjoyed Otoharu’s company. He was honest, heartfelt, accepting and sharp-witted. Each and every aspect of his was somehow mentioned by Haruki one way or the other. It seemed as though they both had good fortune.

Nagi had been blessed with the opportunity to be friends with Haruki, and Otoharu possessed Haruki’s songs. He smiled, and pocketed the business card he had taken. He offered his hand out towards Otoharu.

“ _To our new partnership_ ,” he said.

“Yes, I look forward to working with you,” he replied.

With that, Otoharu grasped Nagi’s outstretched hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some quick references:-  
> • lol idk or remeber where it came from tbh but haruki does talk about otoharu, don't remember if he spoke about certain traits of otoharu, but i decided to throw them in anyway.  
> • nagi is wholeheartedly all about 'songs are ways for people to express themselves' so i used that to make him like otoharu, couldn't really think of much for this.,.,.,.,,  
> • hey, it's canon that haruki expresses himself through his songs - i'm not mentioning it because it's very much spoiler content but 'sakura message' is one of those songs  
> • the legal age to drink in northmarea was 16, so yes, nagi could drink from 3 years ago considering he's 19 rn  
> • nagi often mentions that he's used and lied to in northmarea (which makes me so upset and happy since he still turned out amazing despite what he's been through - a truly strong boy). i believe in a side story, he's genuinely surprised when he sees i7's members because they're more fascinated by him than trying to actually use him so he's like 'wHOA'  
> • seriously,,, the wonders of otoharu and how he can see things with his eyes closed, i had to reference it
> 
> thanks for reading until the end! coming up is riku's fic!


	7. loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku never considered singing to be a part of his future. At least, not until a strange man stumbles upon him. Having realised that he was scouted by an agency, he wants to debut as an idol. However, he’s met with unexpected responses from both his parents and the man that scouted him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly speaking,,, the funniest thing is that i finished this days before nagi's but alas, here it is since i wanted to do it in chronological order,,, forgive me for my selfishness  
> also, wild, this is the longest one out of all of them so i would recommend reading it when you have a lot of time to spare cause this went over 3-5 pages on google docs i'm pretty sure,,,
> 
> idk what else to say here tbh but i do hope you enjoy this fic!

On a day out with his friends, Riku had been the centre of attention amongst his friends the moment he picked up the microphone. He’d been singing the Japanese and English lyrics in accordance with what was displayed on the screen, and fumbled up occasionally - yet his singing voice never faltered.

In the middle of the song, the door to their karaoke box had been opened to reveal a man in his late forties, dressed in a magenta suit and he stood there idly. Everyone in the room had frozen, Riku included, but the song refused to conform as it continued to play in the background. Riku safely assumed he had the wrong room, and lifted the mic to continue singing upon the man’s departure. However, he betrayed all expectations. The man didn’t budge and remained stockstill at the entrance to their karaoke box, rather than turning around to leave.

“Please, go on and sing,” the man said gently. “You can just pretend I’m not here.”

Both requests were extremely difficult, yet there was only one word that could describe Nanase Riku in his current state, and that was fear.

Was the man drunk? If he didn’t sing, were he and his friends going to be involved in something bad? His chest began to tighten with the accompanying stress that arose from this incident. He slapped himself mentally in an attempt to calm himself down, yet to no avail as his breathing began to accelerate, whilst his lungs cried out for oxygen.

If he had an attack here, he’d fail to protect both his friends _and_ himself. He began to sing once again, with a slight tremor in his voice and nervousness lining each of the lyrics that he sang. When the song ended, he could feel himself regaining his composure. He fulfilled the man’s request, surely that should’ve been it. Suddenly, applause from the mysterious man resounded throughout their karaoke box.

“Amazing!” he exclaimed, “I would sing your praises, but my voice is no good at this age. Could I have your name?” He paused for a moment and then continued bashfully. “Oh, I’ve forgotten my manners… my name is Takanashi Otoharu.”

Riku paused, his voice certainly wasn’t slurred so there was no way he could be drunk, right? Was it safe to give him his full name? Otoharu seemed like a nice, old man since he willingly gave out his full name without hesitation, so Riku followed suit, guessing it was ok.

“I’m Nanase Riku,” he replied shyly.

“Please, accept this,” Otoharu said as he offered a card towards Riku.

He took it and examined it curiously to find that it was a business card ‘ _Takanashi Productions_ ’ and beneath that read ‘ _President - Takanashi Otoharu_ ’. He brought his gaze to Otoharu, dumbfounded. He originally thought he was just a drunk old man, but he was the president of an agency.

“Riku-kun, I want to scout you as an idol. Won’t you debut with my agency?”

He couldn’t believe what was happening right now. After what happened with Tenn, he never considered singing to be a part of his future, with the only exception being the karaoke boxes he would go to during friend outings. Although if he was being scouted by an actual agency, then he wanted to test himself. Furthermore… if he could rise high enough, maybe he and Tenn would be able to sing together. With that thought in mind, a warm feeling bubbled up within him and he smiled bashfully.

“Please consider it and inform me of your response,” Otoharu said, “I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

With that, Otoharu turned on his heel and left, having closed the door behind him. Silence wafted throughout the karaoke box until one person spoke up.

“Riku-kun! You’re definitely being tricked, I’m worried…”

“Yeah! Name cards like these can easily be made online and then printed. Riku-san, you’re being fooled for sure!” another chimed in.

“That’s right!” one person piped in, “Rikkun, weren’t you just thinking of college entrance exams?”

“He might be one of those old geezers that swindle people of their money, under the pretense that you’ll be famous! Don’t do it Riku!” another friend argued.

“But he seemed like a nice old man…” Riku offered meekly as he pocketed the business card.

“But Riku, every scam artist starts off nice…”

He smiled sheepishly. Maybe he was being fooled just like they said, but he wanted to believe in the sincerity and honesty that Otoharu had conveyed to him within mere moments. If that was a lie, then he wouldn’t know what to believe in anymore. 

* * *

 

Riku returned back home a few hours after the time of hanging out with his friends. “I’m home!” he called out as he slipped off his shoes, then replaced them with indoor slippers.

“Welcome back Riku!” his parents chorused.

“Today’s dinner is omelet rice, your favourite,” his mother remarked warmly as she set it onto the table, “You came back home just in time.”

Riku’s eyes glistened at the prospect of omelet rice being in front of him. He picked up the bottle of ketchup and began to draw a star in the centre. Satisfied with his artwork, he clapped his hands together, alongside his parents. “I’m going to eat now.”

With that, they began to eat the food in relish. Suddenly, Riku recalled what transpired this afternoon, and wondered how to broach the subject. Should he have done it after dinner? Although now was the perfect time, they were all gathered together - the three of them, with a vacant seat beside Riku.

“Mum, dad,” he said quickly, hoping he wasn’t going to stumble over any of his words. There was a high risk that he’d ruin this happy atmosphere, but he wanted to join the entertainment industry. He gulped, setting his spoon down warily. “I want to join the entertainment industry and become an idol.”

Almost in an instant, the spoon fell from his father’s hands and clattered onto the floor. That sound lingered within Riku’s mind, despite lasting for only a second. His father picked it back up and placed it into the sink, taking the unused fourth spoon instead that hadn’t been touched for a while. “Please don’t joke about things like this Riku,” he said.

“It’s not a joke!” he blurted out, and fumbled through his pocket. He revealed the business card he received today. “I got scouted by an agency!”

“I refuse for you to join the entertainment industry,” his mother added. “We’ve already lost Tenn. He doesn’t come home during New Years, or Christmas, or birthdays, or… or _anything_. The only way we see him now… is behind a screen,” she whimpered, and turned her gaze towards the television. “But we still have you Riku, and that brings the both of us great joy.”

When his mother phrased it like that, there wasn’t much else Riku could say. He couldn’t retract his words and tell them it was just a joke because he wouldn’t mean it. Even though his favourite food had been sitting in front of him, he had completely lost his appetite.

With that, he clapped his hands, “Thank you for the meal,” he mumbled and withdrew from the dining table.

Riku flopped onto his bed as he remembered that night so vividly. He shouted at a strange man, telling him that Tenn wouldn’t join them, clutching tightly and faithfully to his brother’s hand. However, Tenn withdrew his hand and headed over to the man’s side. It was devastating, shocking, upsetting and most of all, he felt betrayed.

In the blink of an eye, the impact of his brother leaving their family hit him like a virus, triggering an attack. Even when Riku called out to him in his moment of suffocation, not once did Tenn look back. Louder than the ambulance sirens blaring, louder than his parents speaking on the phone, louder than anything else was his own choked up voice, crying out for his brother.

* * *

In the afternoon, Riku decided to approach Otoharu. He’d been standing outside ‘Takanashi Productions’ idly and he shifted uncomfortably. It was unnerving to go in alone. It was like venturing into unknown territory. He contemplated on going in and sighed.

“Myu! Myu!”

He blinked at the faint sound to see something hopping up and down through the glass pane. It was a pink fluff ball, with a red ribbon tied on it. He headed over to the door and opened it warily, wondering if it wanted to get out. Its ears flapped upwards and downwards when the door opened and Riku heard incoming footsteps.

A moment later, a man appeared, seemingly breathless. “Kinako-chan…” he sighed, offering his arms outwards for the pink fluff ball to hop into his arms. It did so obediently, plopping itself comfortably in his arms.

“Myu?”

The man placed his hand on the fluff ball, stroking it gently until he cast his gaze upwards. Their sapphire blue irises met Riku’s own scarlet red orbs. They smiled warmly as Riku still held the door open awkwardly. He felt like a fool.

“Are you going to come in?” they questioned, until chuckling slightly. “We’re in no need of a door holder.”

“O-Oh, y-yeah! I’m coming in,” he blurted out and flushed in embarrassment, having stumbled over his words, “P-Pardon the intrusion…”

“It’s ok, it’s not like you’re visiting a house or anything, no need to be so formal,” they laughed, and grinned in amusement. “Where are you headed?”

“To Takanashi Otoharu-san…” he mumbled shyly, flustered that he continuously made mistakes.

“Then Kinako-chan can lead the way,” he said, setting the pink fluff ball onto the ground, “It’s ok to make mistakes. I also made many mistakes when I first started here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I was very clumsy before, because my previous field of work wasn’t like this at all,” he chuckled bashfully, and Riku noted that he brushed against the side of his face gingerly, then smiled.

With that, he waved farewell and left Riku to himself. He glanced downwards at the pink fluff ball that had been jumping up and down, until hopping over to the elevator.

He wondered which level to go to, and gingerly pressed the button to go to the top floor. When the doors opened, he was met with a large door in front of him and knocked on it curiously.

“Banri-kun? Is that you? Come in.”

Banri? Was that the name of the man he met earlier? He gulped, and spoke. “It’s Nanase Riku. Can I come in?”

“Yes.”

With that, he warily opened the door to see Otoharu. He’d been smiling pleasantly as he gestured for Riku to take a seat on one of the couches, with Otoharu joining him quickly. He was poured warm tea and Riku smiled. His throat would be warmer thanks to this. He removed his red-rimmed glasses as they began to fog up from the steam. He took it gratefully, then finally decided to deliver the bad news.

“I can’t debut as an idol,” he mumbled, until continuing in a flustered manner. “Oh, but it’s not that I don’t want to! My parents won’t allow me.”

“Your parents…” he hummed as he took a sip of his tea. “Would you do the honour of inviting me to your home? If being an idol is something you’re interested in, I would be more than happy to try and convince them.”

Riku beamed. He wasn’t aware that Otoharu was willing to go so far to help him debut as an idol. He nodded energetically which set them both in a car, with their destination being the Nanase household.

* * *

When Otoharu entered Riku’s home, and introduced himself, the atmosphere instantly became tense. “The same Takanashi Otoharu that scouted you?” Nanase’s mother inquired as she turned her gaze to Riku.

He shifted uncomfortably, but Otoharu nodded in his stead, and instantly reverted into business mode, bowing his head to both of his parents. “Please allow me to debut Riku-kun as an idol.”

“I refuse. Please don’t be so insistent. Finish drinking your tea and leave,” his father stated firmly, gesturing towards the exit.

“If drinking the tea means I must leave, then I refuse to finish it,” he remarked, then bowed his head once again. “Please. Riku-kun has a lot of potential as a singer.”

“Concerts are far too strenuous for him. He had a heart condition,” his mother sighed, “It’s too dangerous.”

Riku clenched his fists at his family having exposed his respiratory disorder. Even the slightest things triggered him; stress, dust, sudden changes in the temperature. With this, Otoharu was sure to give up.

He confirmed it when Otoharu stood up, and Riku closed his eyes, waiting to hear the door slam shut upon his departure. However, Otoharu spoke again, having bowed deeply once more. “Please. If that is the case then I will ensure we take special care of Riku-kun and his condition.”

Riku’s eyes glossed over, feeling both nervous and shy that Otoharu was willing to go so far for him. It touched his heart and a warm feeling gradually spread throughout him.

“I want to debut as an idol!” he blurted out, “If I can stand on the stage, then maybe I’ll be able to see him again.”

His father observed Otoharu’s slightly puzzled expression and continued to elaborate on what Riku was talking about. “We actually have two children, but one of them left us to pursue a career in the music industry. Now, he hasn’t even returned to us once ever since then.”

“You have my deepest condolences,” Otoharu said sincerely, a wistfulness within his voice as he opened his eyes. Those scarlet pink irises seemed to be looking somewhere off into the distance as he recalled the past. “I too have had someone leave me and never return. However, she left me with a precious gift that I continue to treasure. I love them both, and nothing will ever change that.”

“May I ask what the treasure she left behind was?” Riku’s mother said inquisitively.

He smiled, closing his eyes as he spoke clearly with a hint of happiness. “My daughter.”

“Your wife…” Riku’s father breathed, having deduced the loss that Otoharu spoke of.

Riku frowned at Otoharu’s loss of his wife. He was still a nice old man despite what he’d been through. After a few moments of silence passed, Riku’s mother spoke once again. “Having a child, you understand… don’t you Takaknashi-san? The feeling of not wanting to let go of your only child?”

“Yes,” he replied.

Riku gulped, feeling a bead of sweat roll from his forehead. If they phrased the argument like this, wasn’t Otoharu sure to give up? Although that was their intention after all. They had already lost ‘Nanase Tenn’ to Kujou Tenn. They certainly weren’t willing to lose Nanase Riku as well.

“Even so, I still want Riku to debut as an idol,” Otoharu stated firmly, bowing his head deeply once again. “Because I too will have to acknowledge one day that someone will come, and will be worthy enough to receive the gift that my wife bestowed upon me. If it is what makes her happy… then there is no way I can take that away from her.”

Riku’s mother clenched her fists, turning her gaze towards Riku who met her gaze as well. She turned back to face Otoharu. “Things like New Years… birthdays… Christmas Eve… can you promise us that Riku will return home to us for those events?”

The response came without hesitation as Otoharu replied honestly. “No. Those events are a perfect chance for idols to celebrate them and publicise their image, so he will most certainly be busy during that time. What I can promise you is that Riku-kun will be spending his days happily, working alongside people that he will come to treasure.”

“People I’ll come to treasure…” Riku mumbled and shifted his glasses upwards shyly. He couldn’t see himself that close to anyone besides  from Tenn and his parents. He hadn’t even told his friends about the incident of Tenn leaving them.

“Riku-kun will grow. Not only as a professional, but also as a person,” Otoharu stated, bowing his head once again. “Wouldn’t you like to see that?”

“But it’s not like we’re literally seeing it,” his father protested then sat back, smiling wistfully. He hesitated slightly, and stole a glance at Riku until he continued. “...When I saw Riku’s brother for the first time on TV, I thought ‘ _Ahh, this is the type of person he’s become. They’re not just his business partners, but also his friends_ ’. He was only thirteen when he left us… he changed so much in the past five years, and I saw none of it. None of that growth. None of the tears that he shed. None of the obstacles he faced.

“I wasn’t able to wipe away the tears he could’ve potentially shed. I wasn’t able to help him overcome those obstacles. He’s eighteen now but I… felt so lonely. Not being able to be by his side… I was so… lonely…”

His voice gradually trailed off, and he began to wipe the tears that sprung forth. Riku cast his gaze downwards. Did he really want to make his parents go through that loneliness again? Should he have abandoned his selfishness? His chest felt tight at seeing this scene unfold. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but they failed to do so.

When Riku was young, he had a dream. It was to sing alongside Tenn when they were older. They could sing a duet on the same stage together, then they’d be able to return back home to their parents and tell them the good news. It all crumbled and had fallen five years ago when Tenn turned and left - yet with this opportunity, his dream really could’ve come true.

He parted his lips to speak, wanting to say something. _Anything_ to get his point across until his mother reached forward, and caressed his cheek gently.

“Maybe it’s time for you to see the world with your own eyes,” she breathed, gradually reaching over to Riku and removing his red-rimmed glasses. “It’s not like we hated the showbiz industry in the first place…” she breathed and then continued. “Birds aren’t supposed to be caged like this. Fly away, and show us what you can do Riku.”

“I will.”

“Come home once in a while, Riku,” his father chimed in.

“Yeah.”

“Make sure you take care of your health.”

He nodded as the tears finally began to fall. He wiped them away desperately with his sleeve, flustered that Otoharu was still gazing at them.

“I’ll be taking my leave now,” Otoharu said. With that, he bowed deeply once again, until leaving them.

 

How long would it take for him to return back home with Tenn? How long would it take for him to discover the reason as to why Tenn left them? How long would it take for him to stand on the same stage as Tenn?

For now, they were questions, but soon enough, they would meet their answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some quick notes again:-  
> • riku's stated a few times that he's wanted to sing alongside "tenn-nii" so there it is i guess, i know it comes up once or twice in tanemura arina's manga  
> • tenn left the family at 13. also, i don't remember where, but it was mentioned that riku had an attack when tenn left them because of the stress and shock that came with his departure,,, rip riku -cries for 13y/o riku-  
> • i love making references about tenn being gone, i.e. vacant seat beside riku, fourth spoon that hasn't been used in a while  
> • i would love to expand on banri's previous job but those are some major spoilers, so i'll leave it out  
> • i really have no idea if otoharu knows about tenn being riku's brother and if he knew about riku's condition prior to this, but,,, well,,, heheheheheh.,.,.,.,., -laughs nervously-  
> • on the wiki, it states that otoharu finds tsumugi to be a gift that musubi left behind so i decided to use that #appreciatetakapapa
> 
> lol i was seriously going to write about the time otoharu was driving in the car and riku was so scared since otoharu's eyes are closed, but then i remembered that banri drives otoharu around so that idea was dumped  
> also seriously,,, i stan nanase tenn AND kujou tenn, but sometimes i just love calling him nanase tenn,,, my heart—
> 
> hope you enjoyed this chapter!! at last, it's the end of this,,, or not. i was thinking of writing what it's like when they actually all meet each other inside takanashi productions, but for now, i'll hold it off since i want opinions! because i'm a weak-natured individual that's indecisive as hell lmao thoughts?

**Author's Note:**

> i safely assumed tsumugi was 17 and in her second year of high school since iori was 16 right now so i briefly mentioned her,,, i was extremely tempted to use 'ossan' when iori was referring to otoharu as an old man,,,  
> also, since there's no direct interaction between them in this chapter, i just decided to use 'big brother' when iori referred to mitsuki!! but expect 'nii-san' during iori and mitsuki interaction!! it'll be in the 3rd chapter!!
> 
> this was,,, so hard to write,,, iori said he couldn't get mad at otoharu since he was very smiley so i literally tried avoiding so many words, i.e. chagrin, exasperated, bitterly, sourly, etc. and i use those words pretty often so hahahaha,.,.,.,., -opens dictionary-
> 
> also, thank you for reading 'til the end! i hope you enjoyed it!!


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